Christopher Thomas Smith

UMass Dartmouth 2020 MFA Thesis Exhibition

Biography

Christopher Thomas Smith was born in Lynn Massachusetts and grew up in the nearby town of Danvers. In 2016, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a double major in Vedic Science and Fine Arts from Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. Deeply interested in the human condition, Christopher has independently studied classical literature and philosophy. Using mainly clay, he constructs works informed by the gestural movements of the human form, deteriorating architectural structures, and barren landscapes. The experience of place, time, and process are the central themes of his work.

Statement

Visually, I am referring to man-made utilitarian structures such as office buildings, grain mills, and temples. I also allude to non-man made structures such as canyons, buttes, the desert, and the human body. These structures communicate a sense of honesty and time. Monumental forms have an existential presence which can give a feeling of transcendence, importance, permanence and impermanence. Within all things is a structure that can be seen folding in on itself and deteriorating as it continuously shifts into something else.

More Information

The MFA in Artisanry - Ceramics is a 60 credit, 2- to 3-year program of study.

The Ceramics program offers the opportunity for concentrated studio work involving both technical and conceptual challenges. Through questioning and experimentation, students work to consolidate materials and processes while developing strong conceptual and expressive ideas.